Con el foco en Los Pumas: jugó en Córdoba y hoy es fotógrafo en los principales torneos del mundo (lavoz.com.ar) by Gabriela Martín
He arrived from Cipolletti at 17 to study Physical Education at Ipef. During the pandemic, he moved to London to further his professional career. This is the story of “Gaspa,” Juan Gasparini.
A gesture, a hug, a try, a tackle, the emotion of singing the National Anthem, the despair of a defeat, or the immense joy of a memorable victory. In recent years, capturing each of these moments of Los Pumas has been the work of one man. He also records iconic moments in global rugby at various venues. Since New Zealand 2011, Juan Gasparini has accumulated four Rugby World Cups in his portfolio, along with countless professional photos of rugby matches.
Thus, he combines his two great passions: photography and rugby. The first is a family tradition, following in his father’s footsteps. “Gaspa” grew up among cameras, playing rugby. “I started at four years old at Marabunta Rugby Club, my club in Cipolletti, Río Negro, where I lived until I was 17. I then took a gap year and went to Italy,” he said from England, where he has lived since 2020.
Upon returning from Italy, he moved to Córdoba to study Physical Education at Ipef and joined Córdoba Rugby, where he played between 2008 and 2010. “That year, I started having back pain, so I stopped playing in October and began photographing my brother and my team. I got enthusiastic and hooked,” recalled the former front-row player.
One photo led to another, and the Physical Education teacher never practised teaching because another path awaited him. In 2013, he began covering national tournaments for the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR), such as the National Club Championship, the Torneo del Interior, and the now-defunct Argentine National Championship.
But before that, in 2011, he travelled to New Zealand to cover the World Cup and had the chance to photograph his sporting idols. “I played against Francisco ‘Pancho’ Panessi (Jockey CC), who was a Pumita then. I debuted against Córdoba Athletic at the Annex, a team with Martín Bustos Moyano and Genaro Fessia, among others. I think we lost by 70 points,” he laughed, recalling that World Cup and a memorable photo.
“In that World Cup, during the match where Los Pumas beat Scotland in Wellington, there was a photo that wasn’t planned but happened. As a rugby fan, Los Pumas were my idols. Genaro noticed me, greeted me, and my brother captured the moment. We found it later, and it was very funny,” Gaspa remembered, who over time learned to set aside emotions when photographing Los Pumas.
“In that first World Cup in New Zealand, everything was very emotional. It was my first approach to professional rugby. I was photographing my lifelong idols. I had only done one professional match at that level before the World Cup. It was all new to me, and I was crazy about Los Pumas. My work wasn’t very professional then, so I allowed myself to get emotional,” he reflected.
He continued: “Later, I understood that if I was to dedicate myself to this, I had to separate my emotional attachment from my job. And today, I can say it affects me if they don’t win; it brings me down a bit. But I also have to accept that I’m doing my job, and tomorrow there’s another match, and I have to be 100%.”
“When I came to work at the World Cup, I wanted to stay, and I could because I have Italian citizenship and passport, which allowed me to stay as a resident. But in 2016, Jaguares started playing Super Rugby, which was an opportunity to keep growing. So, I returned,” he confessed.
Moving during the pandemic In 2020, the pandemic changed everything. With competitions suspended, Juan Gasparini was out of work and revived the idea of moving to London, chosen for its many Premier League (football) and Premiership (rugby) clubs. “London had events all week long. It’s the city with the most top-level sports events in the world,” he explained.
But it wasn’t easy. Gaspa planned to travel on a specific date, but airport closures disrupted his plans. He had a ticket with an airline that stopped flying to Argentina and lost that ticket. Finally, he moved on October 21, 2020. “I arrived in London, had to quarantine for two weeks, lived normally for 10 days, and then the Prime Minister announced a strict lockdown. From November to March, I was back in lockdown. A whole year without work. It was tough,” he said.
Today, that period is history, and a fact Juan shared reaffirms this. “From when I started working as a photographer in Argentina in 2010 until 2020, I did an average of 15 to 20 major events a year. Here, I do around 120,” he admitted.
Two Photos and a Moment to Treasure Juan Gasparini has thousands of photos, but among all he has taken, there are two he treasures. They are from the last Rugby World Cup (France 2023). “One is of Agustín Creevy, kneeling in gratitude after the final whistle in Los Pumas’ victory over Wales in Marseille during the quarterfinals. Another one I love is of the South African captain celebrating with his daughter after winning the final and becoming champions,” he recalled.
But there’s a moment in his career he’ll never forget, which occurred at the 2019 Japan World Cup. After Argentina was eliminated, Gaspa worked as South Africa’s official photographer and experienced an unforgettable episode. “After they won, I went to take photos of the celebration in the locker room, which was incredible because only the official photographer and I were there with the players. Even Prince Harry came in to congratulate them, and I was there,” said the Argentine, who aims to establish himself as a top football photographer, as he already is in rugby.
0 Comments